Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is a private university located in&nbsp;Tamil Nadu, India. Founded in 1984, as Vellore Engineering College, the institution offers 20 undergraduate, 34 postgraduate, four integrated and four research programs. It has campuses in Vellore, Amravati, Bhopal and Chennai.

VIT is one of the top ranked private universities in India according to NIRF, THE and QS Rankings.&nbsp;Govt. of India has recognized&nbsp;VIT, Vellore as an&nbsp;Institution of Eminence. This has allowed VIT to take independent quality initiatives and move up in world ranking.

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VIT University

Language

Learning a foreign language at the tertiary level opens up many opportunities for the learners and is indeed an essential requirement for those aspiring to continue their education abroad. With Germany becoming one of the most preferred destinations for higher studies, along with the general German language skills, the academic skills that would be needed is an aspect worth analyzing in the given context of growing demands. Educational data mining is an emerging field and analysis using data mining techniques in educational settings aid in better understanding of the learners, their learning environment and their learning needs. Through this study, by applying one of the data mining techniques called “Clustering”, we explored the German learners’ perception of which academic skill they deem important to be learned in German at the tertiary level. A significant difference in the perception of German learners when it comes to learning academic skills in German was found between the two clusters that were formed. This divide in perceptions among learners indicates the awareness of the learners about studying in German universities or the lack thereof. Educational data mining and its techniques aid in significant decision making that could enhance the teachinglearning process of German. These findings are discussed in this paper in light of augmenting the German curriculum at the tertiary sector.

Computer Science

School of Computer Science and Engineering

Chennai Campus

School of Social Science and Languages

International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering 2

Mining learners’ Data to Perceive the Need for German for Academic Purposes

Cleaner production is a simple defensive mechanism to protect the environment from pollution and depletion of resources. It is also envisioned to minimise the waste and capitalise on natural resources with effective utilization. Solar energy is a natural resource which can be converted into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) system. This article sheds insights on the implementation of solar PV system with interdisciplinary views and analyse motives and barriers for PV adoption by different citizen groups in India. A survey was conducted to understand the people's perception on solar PV energy system and to determine the level of acceptability among the citizens. The survey information was synthesised and consolidated from various perspectives and the result consigns the research findings into technical, human and socio-economic components. The findings were synthesised through cross-cultural, comparative and mixed-method research outcomes by means of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), Dendrogram diagram and biplot interpretation. Statistical tools such as ‘IBM-SPSS Amos’ and ‘R’ language programming were also used to interpret the results. This article concludes by specifying the barriers that limit the retrofitting interventions, suggests possible measures and policies to overcome such barriers and promote solar energy in India. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Department of Thermal and Energy Engineering

School of Mechanical Engineering

Vellore Campus

Electrical

School of Electrical Engineering

World University root node

Journal of Cleaner Production

A sociocultural study on solar photovoltaic energy system in India: Stratification and policy implication

Students often quote “writing” as the most challenging aspect of acquiring a language. An inherent fear of not being able to construct sentences coherently in the first few attempts coupled by inadequate writing instructions are certain reasons why students feel demotivated to write. Teachers too seem to carry the opinion that it is very difficult to teach ‘writing’ and that it can only be ‘learnt’ with proper guidance. Writing requires a deliberate and sustained effort from the learner. However, like any other skill, writing too can be ‘learnt’ provided the right set of conditions exists. These conditions or influencing factors, can significantly enhance the process of ‘learning to write’. Some of these factors include a positive student-teacher relationship, classroom environment, intrinsic learner motivation, and positive feedback systems. These factors have varying degrees of influence on learning writing. This paper seeks to understand the perspectives of teachers and students on the influence of these factors in a real learning environment and their impact on the learning outcomes with specific focus on writing. © BEIESP.

International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering

Factors influencing the acquisition of writing skills

Purpose of the study: The present study mainly argues the limitations of normative ethics and analyzes the anthropocentrism in Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2312 based on the actions or duties of the characters. Methodology: The article used normative ethics as a methodology. Normative ethics is the study of ethical actions that has certain rules and regulations about how we ought to do and decide. So, this study has chosen a normative ethic that consists of three ethical theories Utilitarian approach, Kantian ethics and Virtue ethics to judge duties that are right and wrong. Main Findings: As a result, normative ethics compact with a one-dimensional approach. All three ethics deal with its own specific code of ethics. Utilitarianism has focused on good outcomes. Kantian ethics has paid attention to good rules with duty. Virtue ethics focused on the good people but all three theories have a strong common objective of focusing on only human beings (sentient entities) and omit other entities (plants and animals). So all normative ethics have certain limitations and do their duties without thinking about consequences and situations. In conclusion, this code of normative ethics has provoked as anthropocentric. In addition that Swan’s actions and the rational behavior made her miserably failed in Mercury through the construction of the biome and creation of quantum computers. So this cause, in the end, the space people want to move from space to earth to rebuild the biome. Applications of this study: The prudent study analyses the normative ethics in a detailed manner under the Utilitarian approach, Kantian ethics and Virtue ethics. These philosophical domains can be benefitted for researchers to practice and implement during the research process in Humanities and Social Sciences especially. Novelty/Originality of this study: The study analyzed the anthropocentric attitude of the character Swan in 2312 based on her actions or duties through the code of normative ethics (Utilitarianism, Kantian ethics and Virtue ethics).

VIT Unitversity

Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews

THE LIMITATIONS OF NORMATIVE ETHICS: ANTHROPOCENTRISM IN KIM STANLEY ROBINSON’S 2312

Educators and academicians have been trying to find progress and fineness in English language teaching for years. They have postulated several methodologieswith a view to making language learning easy and interesting.NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) is one such methodology that has been used in language teaching for many years and has gained prominence among EFL teachers and students these days. It has been acclaimed as aunique methodology used for the development of inter and intra personal skills. NLP is all about positive interpretation of people’s worldly experiences and conceptions.NLP has unraveled innovative chances for language teachers to enhance their teaching methodology.The present study suggests effective strategies of Neuro Linguistic Programming that could be helpful in making students acquire some of the important employability skills.The study elucidates important employability skills such as learning skill, listening skill, writing skill, problem solving skill and assertive skill required in workplaces and expoundshow NLP strategies like learning strategy, memory strategy, spelling strategy, problem solving strategy, motivation strategy could help students acquire the skills with ease. The study, in short, affirms that NLP strategies could be quite efficacious in making the students procure the skills that are indispensable in workplaces effortlessly. © BEIESP

NLP strategies: An innovative tool to enhance employability skills

Purpose of the study: The present study diagnoses the vocabulary knowledge employed by ESL learners’ through memory strategies. Schmiit’s (1990) Taxonomy of Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) questionnaire was adopted and administered to 93 ESL learners. In order to get authenticities about the ESL learners’ memory strategies with vocabulary learning, semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 30 participants who completed the questionnaire. The result exposed the subsequent array of memory strategies used by ESL learners from the most frequent to the least frequent strategies, particularly findings revealed that ‘Use new word in sentences’, ‘Study word with a pictorial representation of its Meaning’, ‘Connect word to a personal experience’ are most popular whereas ‘Use scales for gradable adjectives’, ‘Relating word to unrelated items (Peg method)’ were least used memory strategies. Methodology: Schmitt’s Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) (1997) was favored to diagnose the vocabulary knowledge through memory strategies of 93 ESL learners. Initially the responses were collected through Google Forms. Additionally, 30 ESL learners were randomly selected for interviews in accordance to reassure participants’ comprehension of the subject matters. Main Findings: The study finds effective result among 93 ESL learners in acquiring vocabulary knowledge while using memory strategies with the assistance of technological modalities. It also listed the most frequent and least frequent use of memory strategies in Schmitt’s Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire (VLSQ) (1997). Applications of this study: The present study is conducted in English Language Laboratory, where ESL learners’ can be benefitted and the learners can use these memory strategies while learning a new vocabulary when encountering a word. Novelty/Originality of this study: The existing technological modalities will assist the learners to correlate more effectively. Subject and language experts in the field can design the instructional materials and tools to assist ESL learners to improve vocabulary knowledge through memory strategies.

DIAGNOSING ESL LEARNERS’ VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE THROUGH MEMORY STRATEGIES

Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development

Escape from Reality: An Analysis of Corporate Culture and Quest for Quasi-Relationships in the Virtual World

English as the Second language learning recently gained attention in the field of research. The ESL (English as Second Language) learners need vocabulary enhancement and fluency for proficiency of the language which can be achieved through training. By learning and practicing a language with enhanced vocabulary will increase the vocabulary. TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) talks are a world’s biggest digital platform for public speaking. Vocabulary elements given in the TED talks can be defined as a lexicon of language which plays a significant role in communication. The aim of this research conveys the significant role of TED talk videos’ speaker and its influence towards its audiences. This can be achieved only by practical use of vocabulary by the ESL and EFL learners. In this research work, Persuasive and Argumentative vocabulary in the transcript of random 25 TED talk videos with time frame of 0-6mins, and sorted by ‘newest’ tab are analyzed. Also, in-depth analyses of both Persuasive and Augmentative keywords used and its frequencies are listed out from the 25 videos. This research significantly concludes that for effective communication, the learner has to be proficient in vocabulary acquisition. © BEIESP.

Technological modality to influence persuasive and argumentative vocabulary for effective communication with reference to selected TED talk videos

The evolution and transformation of human beings is a part of nature, but as human beings civilized,they started to migrate from one place to another to enhance their condition of existence. As time passed, migration has transformed into different frames and even people have transformed themselves according to advancements in technologies. At present, migration has become an ordinary occurrence due to globalisation. Its not that migration alone has transformed, but also the perspectives of the migrants; they have started to adapt to the migrated culture without giving up their origin culture. They maintain multiple connections with different nations without disturbing their origin. The theory of studying the multiple networks of immigrants and undergoing struggles in acclimatising and emerging with both the migrated culture and native culture is termed as transnationalism. “When people overcome the crisis by accepting, adapting and emerging with both the identities making dual identity and multiple connections with other nations the they are termed as transnationals or trans-border communities”. (Abirami and Alamelu, 2018, p34)Both men and women migrate, but when women migrate, they undergo infinite struggles in their migrated land. When women transcend nation, they are labelled as transnational women; many writers have penned and verbalised the tussles and challenges of immigrant women. Among those writers, SelinaSiak Chin Yoke's novel The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds sets as a best model to interpret transnational women's experience. The objective of the present paper is to analyse the transnational experience and the tussles of immigrant women in the novel The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds through the lens of orthogonal cultural identification theory. © 2019 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication. All rights reserved.

Assimilation and intergration of cultures: A study of transnational experiences in Selina Siak Chin Yoke's novel 'The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds'

The first ethical dogmas are imparted by parents and elders; however societies strongly believe only the documented proofs. So their ideas are attributed as document forms for historical evidences in philosophical view. These shreds of evidence have their origin from Ancient Greek Western ethical theories, and they consist of clever advices on how to live happily, to avoid unnecessary troubles, and to gain progress in one’s career. It is also helpful for rulers to judge people and treat them impartially. Unfortunately, these western ethical theories have eventually developed as more anthropocentric, and humans have started cultivating a chauvinistic attitude towards both nonhumans and natural resources or environment. Anthropocentrism plays a crucial role in the field of environmental ethics and environmental philosophy. This paper mainly deals with environmental ethics, which is the human ethical liaison between people and the natural world and the sort of opinion people create about the environment based on this relationship. Further it analyses how western ethical theories (misinterpretation of biblical teaching and applied normative ethics utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, and Aristotle’s virtue ethics) have given importance to human intrinsic values and how this anthropocentric chauvinism of the western ethical theories is the root of our present environmental crisis. It also proves that we are facing global crisis today not because how the ecosystems function but rather because of the immoral functioning of our ethical system.